College

Hi,

I'm a junior in high school and we're getting to that oh-so-wonderful time when the guidance counselors/teachers/parents/little-voices-in-head are all, "Hey, gotta figure out what college you're going to! You DO know what you want to do for the rest of your life and how to achieve that, right?" Boy oh boy!

So the question that has been nagging at me for the past few months is, how do I handle the whole college thing if I'm interested in a career in games? I feel as if I could go into either art or programming, since I'm quite good at both considering that I lack much education in either (and I've never even gotten into the whole 3-d modeling thing, ever since downloading Blender at 13 and closing it in absolute fear of the immense amount of buttons before me). I'm considering Digipen, but it just seems so gosh darn specialized, and I'm terrified of boxing myself in (I am a teenager after all, changing our minds is pretty much what we do best). What is most marketable in game design studios? Does the degree really matter, or is it just what you can show for it? What sort of college education do your employees have?

Thanks, very much appreciated!

Hi!

I can say for certain that you're taking a good first step by asking openly for sound advice. Many students end up following through with college after high school in a very nonchalant way that leaves much to be desired in terms of their actual experience upon leaving. Damn kids and their music, etc!

My very basic advice, not being an expert, would be to look for programs that have a robust selection of content development workshops -- character design, digital illustration, environmental design, that kind of thing. Look for schools that cater more towards honing a wide variety of skills as opposed to schools that focus on x item and limit your mobility otherwise.

As for what is most marketable and whether the degree really does matter, again, a bit of general, basic advice: depends on the place! Some studios rely heavily on prerequisite experience and qualifications; some rely more on portfolio and that kind of thing. One thing I can comment on with a sound amount of confidence is that the impression you make with your qualifications and with your work makes more of a resounding, resonating impact if you can apply your face to the process. Set up in-person or over-the-phone interviews, be proactive when it comes to relevant job opportunities (even while in school!), that kind of thing. One of the largest mistakes a creative can make is distancing their person from their work.

Okay, I'm done!

-Andrew Marathas

Andrew makes some good points but here's a little I can add. This is from the perspective of an character animator only. I've never modeled or even rigged.

I chuckled a bit when you mentioned Blender. Blender has a notorious learning curve. I downloaded it a while back but only opened it once. I own Maya so I never got around to mucking about in Blender. When I was 13 all my animation was in clay with a tiny b&w quickcam and my imac so props to you for even giving it a try.

If you're serious about art though I recommend finding art school with an emphasis on foundation principles in the first two or so years. I can't stress enough how important and useful traditional skills are. You should get the basics in Figure Drawing, Anatomy, perspective, etc. in studio classes with charcoal and paper before you jump into any software program. You can get into the more specific programs in your junior and senior year of school. Anything you learn can translate into Photoshop, Zbrush or whatever. Same is true for animation. Learn the basic principles first then learn the software.

I could tell you my experience but I'm probably an exception. You'll find some other threads laying around here with posts by a programmer, designer, or two talking about the experience.

IG.MattBoehm said:
If you're serious about art though I recommend finding art school with an emphasis on foundation principles in the first two or so years. I can't stress enough how important and useful traditional skills are. You should get the basics in Figure Drawing, Anatomy, perspective, etc. in studio classes with charcoal and paper before you jump into any software program. You can get into the more specific programs in your junior and senior year of school. Anything you learn can translate into Photoshop, Zbrush or whatever. Same is true for animation. Learn the basic principles first then learn the software

Couldn't agree with Matt more on that one. There's a huge value to having those initial foundation courses. You course through a lot of material in a few semesters time, learning along the way many techniques and handlings that might be foreign or even uncomfortable to you. Ultimately, what you're left with from that experience is a new perspective. You're allowed an insight into the way many other things are done. More than that, you're allowed the invaluable experience of producing for yourself a large quantity of work over a relatively short period of time. You are able to gauge your own speeds and levels of comfort, and that's just a good thing in the long run.

Andrew Marathas
Illustrator

Thank you for the advice! My biggest problem right now is that I don't have a lot of definite direction, which I like to think is pretty understandable for someone of my age. I feel like I could go into programming, art, or even something totally different (I love to write), and I'm terrified of putting myself in a position where I'm trapped for the rest of my life in a place that might not be right for me. In a few weeks I'm going to Carnegie Mellon to be in their summer Game Academy program, though, so that should help me get a better idea of where I want to have my focus. Hopefully.

With any luck, I'll figure it all out in time!

I took the four year school route, and am currently attending the University of California. What I personally chose to do was major in Computer Science, and I soon shall add the double major of physics. The reason I prefer university over art school is that art specializes in all sense art, universities are grab bag and I'm able to take courses that help me grow into the role I wish to play as a programmer (for example I've taken drama, psychology, and design). It's not impossible to learn these things outside of school, nor is it impossible to take courses outside of art school, but I always found learning easier if you were taught in a class with a room full of peers that need help too. Good luck with whatever career choices you have.

I can tell you from some experience here in the 4-year aspect of things, that there are a lot of things you want to focus on when you're in school. I attended a 4-year online degree in Game Design, and while I've got a lot of general information in my head, it wasn't until recently that I started focusing down on one element, and making things happen. I've had the distinct pleasure of talking to some great minds in the industry, and many of them have said the same thing: It's great to have general knowledge, but if you are looking to get into the industry, figure out where, and focus on the major programs that company looks for in its candidates. Take a look at websites and job opportunities for the places you are considering working at, note the programs they want you to work with, and work with them on the side and make some good production quality pieces.

I hope that helps...good luck.